Waze App Review

Waze is a GPS navigation app owned by Google. Available on both smartphones and tablets, the app gives users more than just a means of finding their location of choice. There are a number of different features found on Waze that make it unique from other navigational apps. This Waze app review will look at some of those features such as what is found on the interface, how to properly utilize the app, and the registration and login process. It’ll also provide some insight on what works well for Waze, and what could be improved about the app itself.

Waze Overview

The Google-owned app serves primarily as a navigation software. Some of its features, however, are what separate it from other GPS-like apps. In addition to providing directions to get to the driver’s location of choice, Waze will pick up additional information about the current location that the user is driving through.

This information includes traffic jams, recent accidents, and nearby police traps. The Waze app review will also look at other features, such as the interface of the app which also includes other traits that make the driving experience more personable.

How Does it Work?

In this section of the Waze app review, we’ll take a look at how the app itself works. Like many navigation apps, Waze’s main function is to direct the driver to their location of choice as conveniently as possible. It allows them to input their destination, select the location they are starting from (they will usually track where the driver is at the time and base the travel off of that, but the user can change starting locations if need be).

After the location is selected, Waze will find the shortest route possible, meaning it will find routes that avoid large amounts of traffic, etc. It can be very efficient, as those choices will pop up shortly after the destination is selected. What stops it from being perfect is how often the app reroutes itself. It can be very useful depending on location such as a city, but it can also be extremely frustrating to deal with if used in smaller locations with fewer routes.

Waze is also highly customizable, allowing users to select options such as shorter routes, or faster routes depending on the time of day and traffic. There is also an option where the user can turn on color-coded traffic layering. Different colors mean different layers of traffic, with green being the least amount, and red being the highest.

Pros and Cons of Waze

This section of the Waze app review will examine the app’s pros and cons. Like any software, Waze has a number of advantages that help make for a convenient driving experience. It’s important to note that in addition to being a navigation app, it is crafted for social experiences as well. That means that the app can pick up other essentials of the area the driver is traveling such as:

Gas station location w/prices;

Nearby road hazards or traffic jams;

The ability to sync with other phone apps to set reminders (i.e calendar appointment locations);

Here is where the Waze app review will give this more critique. There is a downside to all of this. While it is nice to have all of these features available on the app, it often results in a cluttered mess on the navigation screen. In turn, it makes it hard to notice the main reason someone downloads an app like this in the first place, which is to find the most convenient route to take with the least amount of traffic. The different icons make it more trouble than its worth from this perspective.

Registration and Login Process

Registering and logging into this app is mostly designed like any other app nowadays. The user must proceed with the following instructions to create a Waze account:

Users can also register with their own Facebook account, where they will follow the same instructions as previously listed, but through Facebook.

Users are required to have a valid drivers license.

Waze Alternatives

Another customizable app is OsmAnd Maps and Navigation. This app is very similar to Waze in the sense that it can also pick up additional information about an area other than its routes and traffic information.

With Osm, you can also find gas stations, restaurants, etc and use those locations to help find an exact address. This is usable for both the Android and iOS that can be downloaded for free, or can also be bought for other devices on websites such as Amazon.

Final Thoughts

In this Waze app review, we reviewed how Waze is great for a more personable driving experience over most navigational apps. There are a number of features that can make a long drive more convenient while letting the user learn more about the area that they are driving through. In that sense, Waze is a step forward.

There are a number of improvements that Waze could still deliver on, such as changes to its cluttered interface and sometimes unnecessary rerouting. Additionally, does an app really need to be a sociable as Google makes it to be? Does there need to be Facebook friends on an app that should be discouraging users from using social media when driving in the first place?

Feel free to share your thoughts and experiences on the Waze App or our Waze app review, and ask any questions in regards to the app!